City of Clovis Lodges Tax Meeting Summary – March 10, 2026
City of Clovis Lodges Tax Meeting Summary – March 10, 2026
The City of Clovis Lodges Tax Board met on March 10, 2026, at 5:33 PM to review applications for lodging tax funding from multiple event organizers. The meeting included roll call (Commissioners present: Freddie Bryant, Garza, Latasha Padilla, Mel Epinether, Jonathan Nelson, Thomas Martin) and approval of the January 13 meeting minutes. No public comments or consent calendar were noted. The board discussed each application but did not take any votes; funding decisions will be made at a future meeting.
Approval of Minutes
- The minutes from the January 13 meeting were approved unanimously via motion by Freddie Bryant, seconded by Mel Epinether.
Discussion Items
Soccer Tournament (Soccer League)
- A representative (unnamed in transcript) presented a soccer tournament scheduled for June 12–14, 2026. Initially expecting 112 teams, the event grew, forcing a date change to allow for field repairs. Youth categories (ages 6–15) with 15 players per team; adult categories A and B, and veterans (35+). Friday (6–9 PM) features penalty games; Saturday and Sunday (7 AM – 10/11 PM) hold tournaments. Estimated attendance: 2,600 players and 6,000–6,500 total including families. Requested funding for trophies, medals, and cash prizes ($5,000 adult penalty, $1,000 youth penalty). Board asked about trophy quantities and medal distribution.
Red Rock Roping
- John English presented for a team roping event scheduled for March 21–22, 2026. He noted 900 teams equating to 600–700 ropers, with families and friends as attendees. He had already ordered saddles with City of Clovis branding but not yet paid for them. Board discussed procurement rules: reimbursement requires invoice dates after commission award (March 19). English stated he will pay invoices after the event. Board accepted his explanation.
Dragon Main
- Brian Boone, co-founder, requested funding for the Dragon Main week-long event (free to the public, nationwide promotion of Clovis). He argued for full funding, stating previous cuts hurt the event and that Dragon Main meets all lodging tax requirements. Board members noted limited funds and many applicants; one board member (likely a restaurant owner) disputed Boone's claims about event impact, leading to a tense exchange. Board indicated they would try to find additional marketing funds but could not promise full funding.
NRL Hunter Grand Slam
- The organizer (name not given) presented for the NRL Hunter Grand Slam finale, to be held in Clovis (Wednesday to Sunday). He noted 32 matches nationwide, with the finale bringing the world's best marksmen (including from special operations and three-letter agencies). He requested $12,000 (same as last year) for marketing, media, trophies, etc. Attendance expected to increase 20% (~400 people including families). The event will be live-streamed on the NRL Hunter website. Board asked about attendance and invitations; replied that anyone can attend.
Chamber of Commerce Promotional Goodie Bags
- Kim from the Chamber requested funding for clear branded goodie bags (saying "Clovis" and "paid for by City of Clovis Lodges Tax"). Bags are given to convention attendees and newcomers. She also asked for cooperation on the New Mexico True Co-op marketing program (a 2:1 matching grant), with an estimate for fiscal year 2027. Board suggested adding a QR code to the bags.
Black Pearl Boxing Legacy
- Earl Large and Danny presented for their eighth boxing event, held May 16 (one day) at Curry County Fairgrounds. Previous event grew from 25 to 39 bouts. They draw teams from El Paso, Albuquerque, Odessa, Midland, Kansas, Louisiana. They requested funding for additional belts to accommodate growth and future two-day events (currently three events per year). Board expressed support.
Little Ballers Incorporated
- Tristan Potler presented for a youth basketball tournament (Junior NBA Clovis Youth Slam Jam) on April 25–26, 2026. Two age divisions (3/4 grade and 5/6 grade). They plan to use Clovis Municipal Schools facilities and train high school athletes as referees. Requested $7,000 for facility fees, referees, and equipment. Potler emphasized the lack of basketball tournaments in Clovis and the organization’s goal to provide youth athletic opportunities.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken on any funding requests. The board will consider all applications and make funding determinations at a subsequent meeting. Discussion indicated that funding is limited and must be distributed among multiple worthy events.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everybody. It is five thirty-three on March tenth. We will call the City of Clovis Lodges tax meeting to order. First, we will start with roll call. Will the clerk please call roll? Freddie Bryant. Here. Commissioner Garza. Here. Latasha Padilla. Mal Epinether. Here. Jonathan Nelson. Thomas Martin. Here. Thank you all for joining. We're going to go through a couple of housekeeping items. The first is approval of meetings, minutes from the last meeting, which was January thirteenth. Are there any corrections to the minutes? We got first motion on Freddie and second from Mel. All in favor. All opposed. So I will be hosting an event on June between the twelfth and the fourteenth. We will be hosting over a hundred and twelve teams that consist of the 25 over there. It consists of twenty-five players each team, all coming um being local and from Lubbock. Kansas City from Houston. So there is a date change due to uh the excess in and teams that we were already acquiring. We didn't expect this many to sign up at right up front. So we were giving them more time to have uh more teams playing also to maintain the fields in the back given that we'll be hosting more than expected. Uh we're trying to give some time to repair the fields to make sure we can host that large of an event. And so what were the dates again? June twelve, thirteen, and fourteen. So there are six youth categories. Okay. So from ages six to fifteen. Those are the youth categories. So between New Mexico, Texas, and Kansas, we're expecting a total of forty-eight teams. Um category, quarantyoche in total. So okay, but equipo. Oh, in cada equipo se permiten uh and there's fifteen players per team. Is there a uh adults as well? Correct. There's um in the adultos those categories per couple. Okay, so we have categories A and B that does not have a defined age group, and we have the veterans group that um veteranos. Veterans are um ages 35 and up. Okay. So it's just those. And what what's your start times and end times? No, el viernes de la six a las 9 de la noche. Okay.
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